Susan Nicole Hastings

Identifying Patterns of Multimorbidity in Older Americans: Application of Latent Class Analysis

To define multimorbidity “classes” empirically based on patterns of disease co‐occurrence in older Americans and to examine how class membership predicts healthcare use.

A Systematic Review of Conceptual Frameworks of Medical Complexity and New Model Development

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDPatient complexity is often operationalized by counting multiple chronic conditions (MCC) without considering contextual factors that can affect patient risk for adverse outcomes.OBJECTIVEOur objective was to develop a conceptual model of complexity addressing gaps identified in a review of published conceptual models.DATA SOURCESWe searched for English-language MEDLINE papers published between 1 January 2004 and 16 January 2014. Two reviewers independently evaluated abstracts and all authors contributed to the development of the conceptual model in an iterative process.RESULTSFrom 1606 identified abstracts, six conceptual models were selected. One additional model was identified through reference review. Each model had strengths, but several constructs were not fully considered: 1) contextual factors; 2) dynamics of complexity; 3) patients’ preferences; 4) acute health shocks; and 5) resilience. Our Cycle of Complexity model illustrates relationships between acute shocks and medical events, healthcare access and utilization, workload and capacity, and patient preferences in the context of interpersonal, organizational, and community factors.CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONSThis model may inform studies on the etiology of and changes in complexity, the relationship between complexity and patient outcomes, and intervention development to improve modifiable elements of complex patients.

Enhancing the Quality of Prescribing Practices for Older Veterans Discharged from the Emergency Department (EQUiPPED): Preliminary Results from Enhancing Quality of Prescribing Practices for Older Veterans Discharged from the Emergency Department, a Novel Multicomponent Interdisciplinary Quality Improvement Initiative

Suboptimal medication prescribing for older adults has been described in a number of emergency department (ED) studies. Despite this, few studies have examined ED‐targeted interventions aimed at reducing the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). Enhancing Quality of Prescribing Practices for Older Veterans Discharged from the ED (EQUiPPED) is an ongoing multicomponent, interdisciplinary quality improvement initiative in eight Department of Veterans Affairs EDs. The project aims to decrease the use of PIMs, as identified by the Beers criteria, prescribed to veterans aged 65 and older at the time of ED discharge. Interventions include provider education; informatics‐based clinical decision support with electronic medical record–embedded geriatric pharmacy order sets and links to online geriatric content; and individual provider education including academic detailing, audit and feedback, and peer benchmarking. Poisson regression was used to compare the number of PIMs that staff providers prescribed to veterans aged 65 and older discharged from the ED before and after the initiation of the EQUiPPED intervention. Initial data from the first implementation site show that the average monthly proportion of PIMs that staff providers prescribed was 9.4 ± 1.5% before the intervention and 4.6 ± 1.0% after the initiation of EQUiPPED (relative risk = 0.48, 95% confidence interval = 0.40–0.59, P < .001). Preliminary evaluation demonstrated a significant and sustained reduction of ED‐prescribed PIMs in older veterans after implementation of EQUiPPED. Longer follow‐up and replication at collaborating sites would allow for an assessment of the effect on health outcomes and costs.

Linkage of Laboratory Results to Medicare Fee-for-Service Claims.

Background:Medicare is the single largest purchaser of laboratory testing in the United States, yet test results associated with Medicare laboratory claims have historically not been available. Objective:The purpose of this study was to describe both the linkage of laboratory results data to Medicare claims and the completeness of these results data. In a subgroup of beneficiaries initiating angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, we also demonstrate the generalizability of Medicare beneficiaries with laboratory values compared with those without laboratory values. We end with a discussion of the limitations and potential uses of these linked data. Methods:We obtained information about laboratory orders and results for all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in 10 eastern states who had outpatient laboratory tests conducted by a large national laboratory services vendor in 2011. Using a combination of direct identifiers and patient demographic characteristics, we linked patients in these laboratory data to Medicare beneficiaries, enabling us to associate test results with existing claims. Results:Nearly all patients in the laboratory data were able to be linked to Medicare beneficiaries. There were over 2 million distinct beneficiaries with nearly 125 million specific test results in the laboratory data. For specific tests ordered in an outpatient or office setting in these 10 states, between 5% and 15% of them had linked laboratory data. Medicare beneficiaries initiating angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers who had laboratory results data had similar patient characteristics to those without results data. Conclusions:This novel linkage of laboratory results data to Medicare claims creates unprecedented opportunities for conducting comparative effectiveness research related to patient safety and quality.

Impact of Clinical Pharmacy Specialists on the Design and Implementation of a Quality Improvement Initiative to Decrease Inappropriate Medications in a Veterans Affairs Emergency Department

BACKGROUND As the proportion of older adult patients who interface with the health care system grows, clinical pharmacy specialists (CPS) have a pivotal role in reducing potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use in this population. OBJECTIVES To (a) describe CPS involvement in the design and implementation of a quality improvement (QI) initiative to decrease PIM prescribing in a Veterans Affairs (VA) emergency department (ED) and (b) report on changes in PIM prescribing before and after the initiative. METHODS Enhancing Quality of Prescribing Practices for Veterans Discharged from the Emergency Department (EQUiPPED) is an ongoing multisite QI project that aims to decrease ED PIM prescribing. We used a mixed-method approach that applied qualitative and quantitative measures in describing the CPS role and evaluating PIM rates. PIMs were defined using the 2012 Beers Criteria. We reported monthly PIM rates in patients aged 65 years and older who were discharged from the ED from January 2012 to November 2014. A piecewise, nonlinear regression model evaluated the pattern in PIM prescriptions over time. RESULTS At the Durham, North Carolina, VA Medical Center, a total of 4 CPS were involved with tailoring the design and implementation of the EQUiPPED intervention for local use. CPS input led to 3 key innovations: academic detailing performed by a physician-CPS pair, medication alert messages identifying medications as PIMs in the computerized patient record system, and automated reports describing the frequency and type of PIMs prescribed by each ED provider. Between February 2013 and November 2014, 73 ED providers received the academic detailing. The ED facility experienced a relative reduction of 47.5% in the rate of PIM prescribing over the observation period. CONCLUSIONS This QI project resulted in a meaningful decrease in PIM prescribing in older ED adults. CPS contributions to QI can extend beyond pharmacotherapy and provider education to also include information technology tools using formulary management expertise.

Health Services Use of Older Veterans Treated and Released from Veterans Affairs Medical Center Emergency Departments

To determine predictors of repeat health service use in older veterans treated and released from the emergency department (ED).

Transitional Care Partners: A hospital-to-home support for older adults and their caregivers

Purpose: To describe the development, implementation, and preliminary results of the Transitional Care (TLC) Partners, a clinical demonstration program that supports the transition from hospital to home of older veterans. Data sources: Hospital records of TLC patients to track their hospital and emergency department visits before and after the TLC Partners enrollment. Caregivers of patients completed Preparedness in Caregiving and the Short Form Zarit Burden Scale during the first week of the TLC Partners enrollment and on the week when the services ended. Conclusions: The proportion of patients with one or more emergency department visits and rehospitalization is consistently lower among TLC patients compared to non‐TLC patients at 30 and 60 days of hospital discharge. The mean preparedness and burden scores before and after the program essentially remained the same. Implications for practice: The description of the implementation of the TLC Partners offers an example of how nurse practitioner‐led interprofessional care models can be adapted to the needs of specific healthcare systems, and how they can be monitored to evaluate their reach, effectiveness, and fidelity to the core components of proved care models.

Comprehensive Support for Family Caregivers: Impact on Veteran Health Care Utilization and Costs

This study aimed to examine the early impact of the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) on Veteran health care utilization and costs. A pre-post cohort design including a nonequivalent control group was used to understand how Veterans’ use of Veteran Affairs health care and total health care costs changed in 6-month intervals up to 3 years after PCAFC enrollment. The control group was an inverse probability of treatment weighted sample of Veterans whose caregivers applied for, but were not accepted into, PCAFC. Veterans in PCAFC had similar acute care utilization postenrollment when compared with those in the control group, but significantly greater primary, specialty, and mental health outpatient care use at least 30, and up to 36, months postenrollment. Estimated total health care costs for PCAFC Veterans were

Enhancing Quality of Provider Practices for Older Adults in the Emergency Department (EQUiPPED)

1,500 to

Effects of a Home-Based Telephone-Supported Physical Activity Program for Older Adult Veterans With Chronic Low Back Pain

3,400 higher per 6-month interval than for control group Veterans. PCAFC may have increased Veterans’ access to care.